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waist

/weɪst/
/weɪst/
IPA guide

Other forms: waists

On a human, the waist is the narrowing between the ribs and the hips –- though for many of us, "narrowing" may actually be "expanding."

Waist can also refer to the part of a piece of clothing that covers the waist — like the waist (or waistline) of a dress or a jacket. Most likely you know these most common definitions of waist, but did you know that a waist can also be the narrow part of a shoe, or of a violin? Don’t confuse the definition of waist with waste, though the words have the same pronunciation.

Definitions of waist
  1. noun
    the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
    synonyms: waistline
    see moresee less
    types:
    wasp waist
    a very slender waist
    type of:
    area, region
    a part of an animal that has a special function or is supplied by a given artery or nerve
  2. noun
    the narrow part of the shoe connecting the heel and the wide part of the sole
    synonyms: shank
    see moresee less
    type of:
    part, portion
    something less than the whole of a human artifact
Pronunciation
US
/weɪst/
UK
/weɪst/
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